Puntland President appoints intelligence chief without announcement: Sources

Abdiqafar Yasin Yakub, neophyte, has been appointed as the new chief of the Puntland Intelligence and Security Agency (PISA), security sources, who asked anonymity, told the Puntland Mirror.

The appointment of the chief was issued in July, but the presidency has not publicly released, according to the sources.

In June, Puntland cabinet ministers voted to combine PIA (Puntland Intelligence Army) and PSS (Puntland Security Service) as the Puntland Intelligence and Security Agency (PISA) when the president sacked heads of these agencies.

Puntland is now facing terrorism threats from armed groups such as Al-Shabab and Islamic State.

Last week, government forces recaptured the town of Af-urur in Bari region after Al-Shabab militants occupied in late July without a fight.

Af-urur, close to Bosaso port town, has been target for Al-Shabab since the attack of June 2017 against Puntland army base, killing at least 30 soldiers.